TRSBPASO 67

The car came to a stop when they returned to the villa.

Lin Yi just happened to wake up groggily at that moment.

But as soon as he came to, he realized something was off.

Why did it feel like he wasn’t leaning against the car seat, but rather…

Lin Yi instantly sobered up a bit, then lifted his head to look—and was met with Huo Jihan’s sharp, chiseled jawline.

They were way too close. He could even catch the faint scent of Huo Jihan’s scent.

Lin Yi: “!!”

He had been sleeping on Huo Jihan’s shoulder?!!

He froze for two seconds, then immediately sat up straight with a whoosh.

What the hell happened? Hadn’t he been careful the whole time not to lean that way? Did he accidentally drift over in his sleep?

At that moment, Huo Jihan turned his head to look at him, his dark eyes deep and unreadable.

Lin Yi quickly spoke up. “Sorry, Mr. Huo, I didn’t mean to.”

He had actually leaned on Huo Jihan’s shoulder the whole way back. How embarrassing was that?

Huo Jihan replied in a low voice, “It’s fine.”

Lin Yi continued, “If something like this happens again, you can just wake me up.”

After all, someone like Huo Jihan probably hated people getting too close or invading his space.

But unexpectedly, Huo Jihan said, “No need to be so polite.”

Lin Yi: “……”

Huh?

Why did that sound a little weird? Was he implying that it was okay for him to lean on his shoulder?

Lin Yi wasn’t quite sure how to respond.

By then, Huo Jihan had already stepped out of the car. Holding the door open, he looked back and said to Lin Yi, “Alright, let’s get out.”

His tone was so casual, like he really didn’t care about what just happened.

Seeing Huo Jihan’s nonchalant reaction, Lin Yi didn’t dwell on it any further. He took Huo Mianmian by the hand and got out of the car.

Huo Shi got out last.

Watching his older brother act so nonchalantly, he couldn’t help but complain inwardly. Of course his brother didn’t mind—it was his brother who had deliberately moved Lin Yi’s head onto his own shoulder.

Soon, the group entered the villa.

Huo Mianmian held Lin Yi’s hand, toddling along with her short little legs.

Huo Jihan and Huo Shi walked behind them.

It was bedtime, and as they walked, Huo Mianmian looked up at Lin Yi and said, “Xiao Ba, I want a bedtime story tonight.”

Lin Yi smiled. “Sure, I’ll come to your room and tell you one later.”

Huo Mianmian said directly, “I can go to your room too. I want to sleep with you tonight.”

His voice was sweet and soft, with a childish lilt.

No one could say no to such an adorable little boy.

Lin Yi was no exception. He immediately agreed. “Alright, we’ll sleep together tonight.”

Huo Mianmian bounced with joy, then followed Lin Yi back to the room.

At that moment, Huo Jihan watched their backs, his expression shifting slightly.

Huo Shi noticed his brother’s face. He didn’t understand at first, but after a moment, it dawned on him.

Was his brother… jealous of his own son? Jealous that Mianmian got to sleep with his sister-in-law?!

Was this really the same emotionally detached brother he knew?!

Huo Shi was silent for a long while.

This trip home had been quite an eye-opener.

He could barely recognize his own brother anymore.

That afternoon.

Lin Yi lounged lazily on the sofa, playing on his phone.

When he opened Weibo, it was still flooded with posts about Huo Shi’s retirement.

Huo Shi’s popularity made sense. First, he was a star player in the e-sports world and the captain of his team, which already gave him a glowing aura. On top of that, he was so handsome he could’ve easily switched lanes into showbiz.

Most importantly, he came from the top-tier Huo family, a prestigious and powerful clan. Every mystery surrounding him was enough to keep the internet buzzing.

So naturally, the news of his retirement stayed hot, dominating the trending lists for days.

Lin Yi casually scrolled down, and to his surprise, he saw the same fan who had commented before was still at it.

Every day, that fan posted the same line. 

【Huo Shi, can you please come back and compete again?】

Just that one simple sentence—but the emotions behind it were deep.

Lin Yi let out a sigh, then continued scrolling through his feed.

Just then, Huo Shi got up.

This e-sports guy stayed up late training every night, caught a few hours of sleep, and woke up again around noon.

Out in public, he was the cool and dashing Captain Huo, adored by countless fans. But at home, he came down the stairs in a jacket and slippers, his hair a bit messy, looking unusually dazed.

Maybe he really hadn’t slept enough last night—there were dark circles under his eyes, and red veins in them too.

Hearing movement, Lin Yi glanced over at him and asked instinctively, “Why don’t you sleep a bit longer?”

Just looking at those bloodshot eyes made Lin Yi feel tired on his behalf.

Huo Shi was already gulping down a glass of water. After he finished, he said to Lin Yi, “No need. I’ve slept enough.”

Lin Yi looked at him in disbelief. “Do all you e-sports players not need sleep or something? Isn’t that rough on your body?”

Huo Shi looked confused. “Why would it be rough?”

Lin Yi: “……”

Forget it. He had forgotten Huo Shi was only twenty-three or twenty-four. Guys that age were full of energy and built like tanks.

Ah, youth really was a blessing.

Seeing Huo Shi like this, Lin Yi suddenly thought of his own past life.

Back when he had just graduated from university, he too had been full of ambition and youthful energy, determined to make a name for himself.

Even though he had entered the grueling world of investment banking, a place where people burned out constantly, he never once backed down. He worked intense hours, wishing every day could have forty-eight hours instead of twenty-four.

Even so, amidst the relentless work, he still found time to outwit and outmaneuver clients. When he came across particularly idiotic ones, he could go to war with them—figuratively throwing chairs and battling it out for hours.

He had no idea how he managed to be so full of energy back then.

He was only twenty-six now, but when he thought back to his former self, it already felt like reminiscing about his youth from long ago.

All he could say was, after dying once, your whole mindset changes. He suddenly found himself embracing a more laid-back and Zen-like approach to life.

With that thought, Lin Yi rather fittingly asked a nearby housekeeper, “Do we have goji berries at home?”

The housekeeper looked confused but nodded. “We do, but why are you asking, Mr. Lin?”

Lin Yi let out a wistful sigh. “I suddenly felt like steeping goji berries in a thermos.”

Housekeeper: “……”

Huo Shi: “Pfft—”

He had just taken a sip of water and immediately choked. “Cough cough cough—”

Still coughing, Huo Shi looked at Lin Yi in disbelief.

What did he just hear?

Seeing the shocked expressions on both the housekeeper and Huo Shi’s faces, Lin Yi raised an eyebrow and said, “What? Is it that weird to drink goji berry water?”

Housekeeper: “……”

Huo Shi: “……”

Once Huo Shi finally stopped coughing, he asked with a tone of genuine confusion, “Are you serious, sister-in-law?”

The tone and expression he used made it seem like Lin Yi had just said something completely outrageous.

Lin Yi: “……”

Sigh. There really was no communicating with these young people.

Of course, in the end, Lin Yi didn’t actually drink any goji berry water.

Because he was just sighing for the sake of it. Not long after, he tore open an ice cream bar and started biting into the cold treat one mouthful at a time, and suddenly felt like the younger lifestyle was actually better after all.

He chomped down the ice cream bar in just a few bites, and then noticed Huo Shi walking into the game room.

It had been a while since Lin Yi had played in there, so he felt a little tempted.

Soon enough, he tossed the ice cream stick aside and called out to Huo Shi, “Wanna play a few rounds?”

Huo Shi turned to look at him. “You want to play, sister-in-law?”

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow. “What? Not welcome?”

Huo Shi said, “Of course you’re welcome.”

Truth be told, he was genuinely curious to see what Lin Yi’s skills were like.

Soon, the two of them headed into the game room together.

A few minutes later, they each sat in front of a computer and launched the game.

They were playing a shooting game, teaming up as a duo.

Once the opening cutscene finished, they were on the plane.

Huo Shi marked a landing spot.

As a professional player, he was intimately familiar with the entire map. He knew exactly where to jump and when.

Lin Yi unwrapped a stick of gum and popped it into his mouth. As he casually chewed, he glanced at the location Huo Shi had marked.

Then he paused for a second.

Well, damn—Huo Shi had chosen to jump into the airport.

Typical. A wild little wolf cub like him wouldn’t go anywhere less intense. If you’re gonna play, play it dangerously.

But since the spot was already marked, Lin Yi didn’t say anything. As soon as the timer hit zero, he jumped with Huo Shi.

The airport was a hot zone.

Enemies were everywhere right off the bat, and firefights erupted fast.

As soon as Lin Yi landed, a burst of bullets came flying at him.

Luckily, his reflexes were sharp. He vaulted through a window and dove into a room—any slower, and he would’ve been downed on the spot.

Huo Shi had seen the whole thing and was surprised by how fast Lin Yi had reacted. He hadn’t expected him to dodge like that.

Silently impressed, Huo Shi quickly refocused and began looting gear.

Lin Yi, after diving into the building, also started scavenging for supplies.

He controlled his in-game character with incredible speed, darting from room to room in a blur.

Most casual players get turned around easily in games like this, forgetting which rooms they’ve searched, running around like headless chickens.

But Lin Yi wasn’t your average player.

His memory was freakishly good. He knew exactly which rooms he had searched and which he hadn’t.

He even remembered what type of ammo he had dropped in which room and when he needed it again, he would go right back and pick it up without hesitation.

As for Huo Shi, there was no need to even comment—his performance was on a whole different level.

He was a professional player, after all—in an ordinary match like this, he was practically unstoppable.

The other teams sensed they had encountered a serious threat, steered clear of him.

Before long, with Lin Yi and Huo Shi working together, they fought their way into the final circle.

The zone kept shrinking, and only five players remained.

Besides Lin Yi and Huo Shi, there were three others.

At one point, Huo Shi spotted two of the remaining enemies—they were on the same team.

They were holed up in a building up ahead.

Using a tree for cover, Huo Shi aimed at them.

When the two players finally poked their heads out the window to escape the shrinking zone and prepared to jump…

Huo Shi seized the moment and gunned them both down.

But the shots gave away his position, and the last enemy, who had been hiding all this time, opened fire on him.

Huo Shi was caught off guard and barely avoided getting hit.

Then came two quick gunshots—bang bang—from Lin Yi, who had been lying in the grass.

He took out the third player.

Everything happened in a flash, but Lin Yi’s shots flipped the outcome in their favor.

No doubt about it—they had just won the match.

Huo Shi let out a deep breath as he came down from the rush, his heart pounding.

The screen flashed with the MVP badge.

Huo Shi turned to look at Lin Yi.

Lin Yi was already chewing a new piece of gum, still lounging lazily in his chair, looking like someone who hadn’t just pulled off a game-winning kill.

The contrast was almost absurd.

Staring at Lin Yi, Huo Shi was genuinely shocked.

He didn’t really understand how someone could pull off such a stark contrast but one thing was clear, it was incredibly attractive.

After a pause, Huo Shi looked at Lin Yi with sincere admiration. “Sister-in-law, your gameplay is seriously good.”

Not just good. It was probably the best amateur skills he had ever seen.

And Lin Yi had another strength: impeccable timing.

Like just now—he had saved him at the perfect moment.

Lin Yi was the kind of teammate you could trust to watch your back.

Hearing Huo Shi’s words, Lin Yi raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Well, I’m on your team, so of course I wouldn’t drag you down.”

Huo Shi smiled too, then asked, “Another round, sister-in-law?”

Ever since retiring, it had been a long time since he felt such tight coordination with a teammate. It got his blood pumping.

Lin Yi replied casually, “Sure.”

Soon, they jumped into another match.

In the end, they played four or five rounds before finally taking a break.

Lin Yi let go of the mouse and keyboard, leaning back in his chair and stretching with a big yawn.

Huo Shi still had an excited look on his face—it was clear he’d thoroughly enjoyed the games.

But then, without thinking, he rubbed his right wrist with his left hand.

As he did, his sleeve slipped up, revealing a white bandage around his wrist.

It was clear—his right wrist was starting to hurt again.

After several intense rounds, the strain had built up, and his hand was trembling slightly.

Lin Yi caught it out of the corner of his eye, then turned to look at Huo Shi’s wrist. “You okay?”

Huo Shi lowered his eyes and shook his head. “I’m fine.”

Lin Yi didn’t buy it. “Really?”

For e-sports pros like Huo Shi, wrist injuries were all too common.

And he had seen bandages and medicated patches on Huo Shi’s wrist more than once. It didn’t look “fine” at all.

Then Huo Shi said, “I’m not competing anymore anyway. This hand’s useless now.”

Lin Yi: “……”

What kind of nonsense was that?

You don’t just give up on a hand like that!

Lin Yi scolded him, “Don’t joke about your health.”

He didn’t know how much of this self-destructive attitude came from guilt over his parents but the past was done. No matter how much he regretted it, nothing could be changed. All he could do now was bury the pain deep down and keep moving forward.

Huo Shi still shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. Just leave it.”

Lin Yi: “??”

Not competing anymore was one thing—but letting his right hand waste away?

Lin Yi felt like Huo Shi was just a grown-up version of a brat.

Who uses their own body to atone for guilt?

Lin Yi narrowed his eyes and asked again, “Are you going to get treatment or not?”

“No—”

He didn’t even finish before the chair got kicked.

Startled, he looked up at Lin Yi.

Lin Yi stared at him down and said in a threatening tone, “You are going to see a doctor immediately, and you’re going to get targeted treatment. Who said not competing means you can just ignore it? What if it gets worse? If the day comes when you can’t even hold chopsticks, who’s going to feed you?”

“……”

Huo Shi paused for a moment, trying to argue. “It’s not like I won’t be able to hold chopsticks…”

Lin Yi had no interest in debating.

He simply said, “Your choice. Either you go willingly, or I tie you up and drag you there. Or I will knock you out and have the doctor come to you.”

And clearly, Lin Yi wasn’t joking at all.

Huo Shi: “……”

Why did his sister-in-law have such a terrifying side?!

What other choice did Huo Shi have? Of course he had to go with the first option.

After a pause, he said, “I—I’ll go see the doctor myself.”

Lin Yi, after his fierce outburst, instantly returned to his usual laid-back demeanor and said in a tone like he was rewarding a kindergartener, “That’s more like it. You should’ve behaved from the start.”

Huo Shi: “??”

His sister-in-law was seriously scary.

Forget everything else—just being able to switch moods like that was something most people couldn’t pull off.

Luckily, seeing a doctor wasn’t complicated in their family. They had a private physician, so all it took was a phone call to have the doctor come over.

Dr. Xu Zheng arrived at the villa a little after six in the evening.

When he found out his patient this time was Huo Shi and not Lin Yi, he was so surprised that he said to Lin Yi, “Well, this is rare—it’s not you who’s sick this time?”

Lin Yi: “??”

Did he really look like someone with a weak constitution?

He raised an eyebrow and looked at Xu Zheng. “Are you disappointed I’m not sick?”

Xu Zheng said lazily, “Not really, just feels strange not being here for you. It’s kind of unreasonable.”

Lin Yi: “……”

That explanation was basically no explanation at all.

Some things never changed—Xu Zheng was always that annoying.

Fortunately, after teasing for a bit, Xu Zheng got serious and started examining Huo Shi’s wrist.

He was a real MD with a PhD, and once he focused, he did look pretty professional.

Lin Yi had nothing to do, so he sat on the nearby couch watching TV.

At that moment, Huo Jihan came home from work.

The sun was setting, and the front door of the villa was bathed in golden light.

Huo Jihan walked in step by step from outside, backlit by the glow, steady and composed—like a god descending from the heavens.

A housekeeper immediately went up to greet him and took the suit jacket draped over his arm.

After handing over the jacket, Huo Jihan paused slightly, his dark eyes scanning the room.

When he saw Lin Yi sitting on the couch, his expression softened noticeably.

Then he walked over to him.

Lin Yi heard the footsteps, turned, and smiled when he saw him. “Mr. Huo, you’re back.”

Huo Jihan’s lips curved slightly. “Mm.”

The way they spoke to each other, it was as if no one else existed—the atmosphere between them faintly tinged with intimacy.

Meanwhile, Xu Zheng, while checking Huo Shi’s wrist, muttered, “Don’t you think we’re like two giant third wheels?”

Huo Shi: “……”

Finally, Huo Jihan glanced in their direction.

Seeing that his usually stubborn brother was actually receiving treatment for his wrist, his expression shifted slightly but he didn’t say anything.

He turned back and sat down beside Lin Yi.

After sitting, he casually placed a few documents down.

Lin Yi glanced at them while watching TV.

Even though he was a total slacker in this life, in his previous life he had been a major player in investment banking, so he still had a sharp eye for business.

So when he saw the documents, he casually commented, “This is the first draft, right? Doesn’t feel very polished.”

The documents outlined a plan to expand a sub-product line in one of the branch offices.

But in Lin Yi’s opinion, the return on that product line wouldn’t be worth much. The product had little future to begin with.

Huo Jihan raised his brows, clearly interested. “Go on.”

Since he had nothing better to do, Lin Yi said a bit more, sharing his opinions.

After all, he had worked in investment banking in his past life. His analysis was concise and spot-on—it only took a few lines to lay out the plan’s strengths and flaws.

After saying his piece, Lin Yi stopped.

It took effort to think, and he was too lazy for that.

Huo Jihan was still looking at him, eyes filled with appreciation. “Continue.”

Clearly, he agreed with Lin Yi’s views.

Lin Yi was just about to go on, but as the words came to his lips, he suddenly paused and looked at Huo Jihan with a half-smile. “I’m not an employee of your group. Are you trying to get free consulting out of me?”

Huo Jihan actually went along with it and curved his lips. “Not for free. I’ll pay you.”

Lin Yi’s eyes lit up, instantly interested. “What’s the rate?”

Huo Jihan, looking at him like he was a clever little fox, smiled even deeper. “One thousand per word.”

Lin Yi’s eyes widened slightly, clearly thrilled.

A thousand per word?

Then he’d better make it count!

Hearing that, Xu Zheng couldn’t even focus on examining anymore. He eagerly jumped in. “Huo Ge, I can help too! I can give you feedback on your plan!”

Even though he was a medical student and completely clueless about business, one thousand per word was just too tempting.

Even if he studied medicine, today he was going to rack his brain for some business advice.

Huo Jihan shut him down coldly. “You can’t.”

Xu Zheng: “??”

He asked blankly, “Why not?”

Huo Jihan said, “No reason.”

Xu Zheng: “……”

He refused to give up. “Huo Ge, can’t you at least give me a reason?”

Huo Jihan asked, “You really want one?”

Xu Zheng said, “…Forget it, forget it, never mind.”

His instincts told him the reason would crush his self-esteem.

Lin Yi gave insightful commentary, while he would probably just be spouting nonsense.

Back on the couch, Huo Jihan said to Lin Yi, “Go on.”

Lin Yi really did continue.

This time, he flipped through a few more pages, took in more of the proposal, and then laid out some concrete suggestions.

He still looked lazy and casual, but everything he said was spot-on. It was practical ideas that could go straight into a high-level meeting agenda.

After talking for a while, Lin Yi finally stopped and smiled as he asked Huo Jihan, “So? What do you think?”

He had poured all the skills from his past life into this—surely it aligned with what Huo Jihan was looking for.

Huo Jihan looked at him seriously. “Lin Yi, have I ever told you how smart you are?”

He had always known Lin Yi wasn’t lacking in ability. He just didn’t like putting in the effort.

In truth, Lin Yi was far smarter than most people.

Lin Yi was practically glowing from the compliment—it was hard not to be pleased when someone like Huo Jihan praised you.

But then he quickly remembered something and said, “Don’t try to trick me. Praise is one thing, payment is another. Don’t think you can flatter me and get out of paying.”

He stared unblinking at Huo Jihan, waiting for his answer.

With his bright, animated eyes, Lin Yi looked sharp and clever.

Huo Jihan’s gaze clearly showed his indulgence. “Mm, I’ll settle your payment right away.”

Off to the side, Huo Shi and Xu Zheng: “……”

Maybe they really were just two light bulbs—way too bright.